Yanagitas

Yanagitas is the English plural form used to refer to people who bear the Japanese surname Yanagita. In Japanese, the name is written with the kanji 柳田 and is pronounced Yanagita. The plural usage in English simply denotes multiple individuals who share this surname.

The surname Yanagita comes from the kanji 柳田, read yanagi-ta, meaning “willow field.” It is a toponymic name, likely originating from a location associated with willow trees near agricultural land. As a family name, it has a long historical presence in Japan and is encountered across periods of migration and regional variation.

Most bearers of the name reside in Japan, where Yanagita is considered a fairly common surname. In addition, descendants and communities of Japanese heritage outside Japan—such as in North America, South America, and Oceania—also carry the name, reflecting broader patterns of Japanese diaspora.

Notable individuals with the surname include Kunio Yanagita (1875–1962), a prominent Japanese folklorist and founder of modern Japanese folklore studies. His fieldwork and his work on Tōno Monogatari helped establish folklore as a rigorously studied scholarly discipline in Japan and influenced comparative ethnography in other countries.

Beyond individuals, Yanagita generally refers to people with the surname and does not denote a distinct organization, place, or widely recognized entity.